Tuesday, 12 April 2011

The Hull Lib Dem Cuts

1400 Hull jobs are expected to go. The unions warn this could rise to over 2000. Cuts include museum services where hours will be cut as well as opening times.

But the headline cut in Hull is surely the massive attack on Youth and Children’s Services. 1 in 5 young people in Hull live in poverty. 1 in 5 adults are unemployed. School attainment is amongst the lowest in the UK.

The Council cuts mean young people in Hull will be affected by:

32% cut in Children and Young People’s services.

SureStart: funding slashed by 50% (1). Lib Dems technically not “closing” the 14 of 21 centres, but staffing and provision are set to be minimal, the unions claim “a receptionist and a caretaker”! (1)

Unison estimates only 46 of 244 workers will remain. (1)

Connexions: 100% cut in careers guidance for young people. (2)

Young People’s Support Service cut 50%. Used by 1500-2000 young people every month, for help in finding a place to live, a job, education grants, etc. (2)

Looked-After Children’s Services cut — only two learning mentors to remain for the city. (2)

Family Group Conferencing cut. Help for families to stay together when crisis hits, and preventing youngsters being taken into care. (2)

Disability Respite cut—did provide short term breaks for disabled children and young people. (2)

Day Care Centres: NINE still threatened with closure …

Teaching Assistants cut: the Council has already made hundreds of TAs redundant and will cut back classroom support further.

It’s not as if Hull can afford more redundancies at this time, or that Hull doesn’t have enough unemployment! But this attack on communities and services cannot go unanswered which is why 5 Green Party members have put themselves forward as candidates: